I just came home from a month vacation in Europe. One of my favorite places was Venice. It is everything you could imagine. Beautiful sights, old world feeling you get just walking around. Friendly people spoke english well. Food is out of this world. On the other hand it can be very expensive if you dont watch your spending. One day we went into the local grocery stores got lunch and drinks for half the price and we had a little picnic in one of the sitting areas...It was so beautiful Venice is what you make it.

I used to work on Lake Garda and have been to Venice a number of times - always a really nice place to visit. My last visit (end July 09) was really dissapointing. It appears that the ugly face of tourism has taken it's toll - we found it really unfriendly, expensive, dirty (it seems that they have a pretty big graffiti problem these days too) and an alltogether unsavoury place to spend time. Certainly avoid the main tourist season. Be interested to hear if other poeple have had a similar experience and seen things change over the years. What a shame.

My family ( husband, children ages 15, 13 and 10 years old) was in Venice for 1/2 a day.. I wished we could have stayed longer. It was so lovely. The Trenatalia over was great.. albeit the train station was a bit confusing. The city itself was just like I imagined and had seen in books and movies. We walked around and shopped and ate lunch and bought t-shirts at The Hard Rock Cafe. The food was great.

C.L. Canada

This city is absolutely fantastic. It is one of the most beautiful and relaxing places that i have ever visited. To apprecitate it fully you must go for at least 3 or 4 days and be prepared to do a lot of walking.

Even if you are not into art or architecture, this city will enchant you. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your trip to Venice.

1) Venice has some beautiful parks - go to the supermarket/local deli and go for a picnic. The selection of meats, breads and cheese is amazing, you get to save a few euros, whilst enjoying the views of this gorgeous city.
2) Go off the beaten track for the best restaurants, again not only will you save a lot of money, but the food is definately of a higher quality. Dorsudoro is by far the best district in the city to get great food and value for money.
3) Don't miss out on the fantastic ice cream.
4) If ordering wine with a meal opt for the house wine, usually served by 50cl costing between 5 & 8 euros.
5) Some, but not all restaurants add a 10% - 12% service charge and a seating charge of up to 2 Euros. If this applies, it must be shown on the menu (usually at the bottom of the page). Worth checking so you don't get a surprise when the bill arrives.
6) Shop around if you fancy a ride on a Gondola, the prices vary from 25 Euros to 80 Euors depending on the vendor. The cheapest I noticed was through a booking agent just next to Ponte de Paglia, (round the corner from the basilica near the Bridge of Sighs). You can also book a trip to the the islands of Burano, Murano and Torcello here for a good price.
7) The Basilica is amazing, however being a main attraction, you have to queue for quite a while. My tip would be to go early, particularly in the summer when it is very hot. There is no shade, so it can be a little uncomfortable queing in the midday sun.
8) Take a walk along to Fondamenta della Dogana alla Salute in the evening, You get the most fantastic views of Doge's Palace, San Marco Piaza and the Basilica from one side and Guidecca Island on the other side.
9) Use the water fountains dotted around the city to top up your water bottle, or buy them at the supermarket (6 bottles for less than 2 Euros). You'll pay up to 3 Euros in the shops around the main tourist attractions.
10) Finally, take a good map, but don't be afraid to get a little bit lost. You'll find the most beautiful churches, park or plazas that way and still be able to find your way home.